Colorado's new football coach laughed and nearly cried during his introductory press conference on the club level at Folsom Field. The 47-year-old exuded confidence in his ability to turn around the struggling CU program, referencing the fact that he's done it before. He teared up briefly when asked about the influence of his father, George, a former college coach, on his life and career.

George MacIntyre, who is battling multiple sclerosis at age 73, was undoubtedly proud beyond measure on the day his son became the highest paid CU coach in history agreeing to a five-year contract paying him $2 million per year, which is more than four times as much as the $450,000 he made coaching the San Jose State Spartans this season.

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"I'm honored to be a Pac-12 coach," MacIntyre said. "All my life I've wanted to be a football coach. I grew up a coach's son. It's in my blood."

The contract also includes clauses requiring the school to meet certain deadlines in the process of beginning major facilities additions and enhancements in and around Folsom Field. MacIntyre said the clauses were vital to his decision to take the job because they showed commitment to winning from the school. Colorado will also pay a $400,000 buyout to San Jose State to fulfill a buyout clause in MacIntyre's contract there.

MacIntyre thanked his new bosses -- President Bruce Benson, Chancellor Phil DiStefano and athletic director Mike Bohn -- for the opportunity to coach a program he says he has admired since he was a high school and college player in the 1980s. He made one promise during his press conference and it was directed at those three men and the thousands of Buffs fans they represent.

"I will make you proud. I promise you," MacIntyre said. "We will work tirelessly. We will work correctly and we will work with passion. I think as you get to know me, you will say one thing about Mike MacIntyre, 'He has passion.' You might say some other things, but you're going to say I have passion."

The hiring concluded a two-week search for the 25th full-time coach in CU history. It was a process that was surreal at times and included multiple interviews and one very public rejection before finally concluding with a man who seemed to fit in well during his first day in Boulder. He had never been to the town before, though he has been to Colorado multiple times for both work and pleasure.

"There is no question about it," Bohn said. "We've hired a football coach that all Buffs can stand shoulder to shoulder with. We couldn't be prouder of Mike and his family. He's a fit with our guiding principles and our high academic standards.

"He's a proven recruiter, a teacher and a leader who executes a plan to build a fundamentally strong program."

MacIntyre also was straightforward in describing the kind of football CU fans can expect to see on Saturdays next fall and in years to come. His offense will use a Pistol formation with spread principles while utilizing multiple personnel groups.

"I want to be able to have a run-play action conflict on the defense," MacIntyre said.

He said his system of using multiple personnel groups and playing a lot of players is modeled after Boise State.

"When you play more people, more personnel groups you have more happy kids," MacIntyre said. "They practice harder. They do better in class. They play harder. You have better production."

The Buffs will use a 4-3 defense with a lot of 4-2-5 principles under their new coaches. It is designed to best combat the dynamic offenses playing spread schemes and powerful pro-style attacks of the Pac-12 .

MacIntyre said his defense can be accurately compared to Texas Christian. It's one that gets after the quarterback. He said last year the Spartans had the three leaders in sacks in the Western Athletic Conference along with the player with the sixth best sack total.

CU players met with their new coach for more than 30 minutes prior to his press conference. They emerged from the meeting with generally positive things to say about what they heard from him. Defensive back Parker Orms said he liked that MacIntyre isn't acting like it's a rebuilding project. He told the players they can win now.

"He's a guy who wants to win now and that's what he basically preached to us that it can happen right away, but it's a process," Orms said.

Colorado hasn't had a winning season since 2005 and has been to only one bowl game in the past seven years. The Buffs are coming off a 1-11 season viewed as the worst in the modern era of the program. Why does MacIntyre believe he can win right away with largely the same players who produced the results this season?

"If you don't believe you can win, you're not going to win," MacIntyre said. "Now, will we win every game? I don't know. ...They better believe they can win."

MacIntyre's first test in his new job is still nine months away. He has recruiting concerns, a coaching staff to assemble, spring football to plan and hundreds of much smaller tasks in front of him.

"Yes, we've got a long way to go, but I've been there before and I know what to do," he said.

Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre speaks at a press conference in the club level of Folsom Field on Monday.
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JEREMY PAPASSO
)

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